


warm this winter

by gothyringwald



Series: harringrove holidays [4]
Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: First Kiss, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Huddling For Warmth, Hypothermia, Ice Skating, Light Angst, M/M, Sharing Body Heat, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Winter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-09-23 18:54:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17085818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gothyringwald/pseuds/gothyringwald
Summary: It was meant to be a fun day, Steve & the nerd squad skating on the lake, Billy watching Steve skating and pretending that he's not. But when the ice cracks Steve has to be the big damn hero and save the day. Now he needs someone to save him.AKA the one where they have to share body heatFor the 12 days of Christmas prompt 'skating'





	warm this winter

**Author's Note:**

> I've been tinkering with this all week so I'm just going to go ahead and post it. Happy holidays everyone!
> 
> Also, I'm pretty sure I've taken some liberties with how ice/frozen lakes work here ;) (Look, I've never even seen a frozen lake, much less skated on one! So I did my best with google haha)

The sun emerges from behind a wall of grey clouds, its thin light glittering over the broad expanse of the frozen lake. Standing by a tree on the lake's bank, Billy squints against the glare and wishes he had his sunglasses. He sighs, breath misting, and crosses his arms over his chest. Out on the lake, Steve and his merry band of dorks are skating, blades slicing through the frozen water, carving haphazard patterns in its surface. Princess Wheeler and Byers glide along, hand in hand, and Billy rolls his eyes. It is Steve who commands Billy's attention, though, in his ridiculous sweater, his too-long scarf wound about his long neck, his jeans that fit just right. Billy shifts, warmth suffusing him from inside out.

When Steve sees Billy watching him, he skates over, blades making a satisfying _snk snk_ sound as he comes to a stop. 'You're missing all the fun,' he says, cheeks and nose red from the cold. There's frost in his hair.

'I'm good,' Billy says.

'Come on,' Steve implores. He reaches out a hand and Billy nearly takes it. It would be so easy. He shakes himself.

'Not a chance, Harrington,' Billy says.

Steve rolls his eyes. 'Suit yourself,' he says, with a shrug, and glides away, again, strong slim thighs pushing him forward. Billy wonders what they'd feel like wrapped—

A strange sound breaks Billy from his thoughts. At first he thinks it's like the other weird noises, the ones that sound like fucking lasers. Henderson had said it was the ice shifting and expanding, totally normal, nothing to worry about. But this sound is different. Louder. Deeper. It sends a shiver through Billy and, as he looks up, time slows to a standstill. 

Max is rooted to the spot, face pale and eyes wide, as a splinter crawls through the ice toward her. The others have all stopped, too, looking like a bunch of mannequins, and Billy can tell this is serious. His heart leaps. He moves onto the ice but his boots skid and he won't make it to Max in time.

It's Steve who moves first, of course it is, saying, 'Don't move,' and then he's like a bolt of fucking lightning, shoving Max out of the way. She's thrown into the bank, safe, but rubbing her arm where she fell. Sinclair and Henderson rush over to her, help her stand. 

Billy lets out a long breath. Max is OK. No one saw him panic. But something is still wrong. He can feel it, clawing at the pit of his stomach. As he turns his gaze back toward the lake his blood freezes: Steve is nowhere to be seen. 

Wheeler's grabbed a hefty branch from somewhere and she's edging toward the hole that's now in the lake's frozen surface, Byers close behind her. Billy can't make himself move. It feels like hours, though it must only be seconds, before a hand comes up out of the water, grabbing for the branch. Billy lumbers out onto the ice then, not caring about how he skids and slides, helping Wheeler and Byers haul Steve out of the water. 

He's shivering and coughing and he looks like he just nearly fucking drowned in freezing water.

'I could have got him out,' El says, a wobble in her voice. The other kids are silent, wide-eyed.

'I didn't think,' Wheeler says, hugging her arms around herself. She's pale, looks as stricken as Billy feels.

'Let's get him somewhere warm,' Byers says, looping one of Steve's arms over his shoulder while Wheeler moves to take his other side.

The kids huddle close together, their earlier joy evaporated, Wheeler and Byers ahead with Steve still between them.

Billy follows behind feeling like the world is turning too fast as they move through the woods to Hopper's cabin.

—

Steve is sitting by a tiny electric heater, blankets piled around him, shivering. His lips are tinged blue and his eyelids droop, like he's going to pass out any moment. He hasn't spoken since they hauled him out of the water.

Worry gnaws at Billy's gut as he stands back, playing the scene of Steve saving Max over and over in his head, both grateful and angry. At Steve for being the fucking hero. At himself for not joining in and skating. If he had, he'd have shoved Max out of the way. Not Steve. 

Everyone else is crowded around Steve, talking over each other, a flurry of anxiety and concern.

'We should have taken him to the hospital,' Sinclair says.

'It's foo far,' mini-Byers says. He looks haunted and Billy doesn't know if it's the mention of the hospital or the whole situation that's got him spooked.

'We need more blankets,' Wheeler says, clutching Byers' hand, 'or a fire.'

Henderson pales. 'He's not shivering as much,' he says.

'Isn't that good?' El asks.

'No, no, it's bad,' Henderson says. 'And if he _stops_ shivering, that's very bad. It means he's getting worse.'

'What do we do?'

'I read that sharing body heat works best for hypothermia.'

'What, like we all…cuddle him?' Sinclair says.

Wheeler Junior scoffs and Billy glares at him.

'Or one of us.' Henderson pauses. 'And, uh, apparently it works best without clothes.' 

'Gross.' Wheeler Junior screws his nose up.

A fraught silence falls. No one is quite meeting anyone else's gaze and Steve is still far from being okay.

Billy finally snaps into action and shrugs off his jacket. 'For fuck's sake,' he mutters, pulling off his shirt and kicking off his boots. He doesn't think how it might look, not when Steve could...

'What are you _doing_?' Max says, eyes wide and face red.

'He's going to fucking die before any of you make a decision,' Billy says, unbuckling his belt. 'The nerd says someone's gotta get naked'—he jerks a thumb in Henderson's direction—'then I'll get naked.' He drops his jeans.

Everyone in the room blushes and looks away, except for Steve who is still sickly pale, his gaze unseeing. Staring right through Billy.

'Oh my god,' Max says.

'So, we get cosy under the blankets, right?' Billy asks Henderson who nods, not quite looking at him.

'Right.' Billy walks over to Steve and crouches by him. 'Harrington,' he says, one hand on Steve's shoulder, 'can you hear me?'

Steve blinks. 

'You gotta take your wet clothes off,' Billy says.

'I'm tired,' is all Steve says.

Something tightens in Billy's chest. He pulls the blankets off of Steve and tugs at his sweater, feeling the weight of eight incredulous gazes on him. Billy turns around. 'This ain't a peep show,' he says. He waves his hand toward the other room. 'Some privacy?'

Wheeler and Byers exchange dubious glances and the kids look equally uncertain. 

'Scram,' Billy says with more force and everyone scrambles to get out of the room.

Wheeler hesitates by the door, biting her lip. 'Maybe I should go for a doctor,' she says, 'just in case?'

Billy nods and Wheeler ducks out, leaving Billy alone with Steve. He manages to get Steve out of his clothes, keeping his touch light, clinical, despite how he wishes it could linger. Steve barely makes a noise as Billy undresses him, his breathing growing shallower, and Billy's stomach churns. He leaves the clothes in a wet heap, then manoeuvres Steve so he's lying on one of the blankets, tucking himself against the curve of his spine. 

Steve's skin is like ice. Billy hisses in a breath, tensing automatically, but he forces himself to relax against Steve. Curl their bodies together. He pulls the blankets over them, and wraps his arm around Steve's waist. 

'What're you doing?' Steve says after minutes of silence. 

'Gotta get you warm,' Billy says. He ignores the swoop of his stomach and the heat that coils in him with the feel of Steve pressed close.

'Warm,' Steve repeats. There's a wrongness to his voice.

Billy props himself on an elbow, peering over Steve's shoulder. Steve's eyelids flutter closed. 'Hey, no, wake up,' Billy says, heart racing. He shakes Steve in his hold and Steve groans.

'I'm awake,' he says but his head nods like he's on the verge of falling asleep. 'I'm awake,' he repeats.

Billy isn't convinced but he lies back down, pulling Steve closer. It's like holding a block of ice and the Billy's stomach sinks. He has no idea if this will work. But when Steve starts shivering violently Billy lets out a long, slow breath. If Henderson was right that has to be a good sign.

'Fuck,' Steve says, sounding more lucid than he has since he fell, 'I'm so cold.' He wriggles in Billy's hold and rolls until they're facing each other. He winds his arm around Billy's waist, cold palm pressed flat between Billy's shoulder blades. It's not as cold as it was earlier, though. 'Better,' Steve says, shifting down so he can tuck his head beneath Billy's chin.

Billy flushes. He knows Steve wouldn't be doing this if he weren't out of it. Doesn't mean he can't make the most of this while it lasts, memorise the contours of Steve's body, how they fit against his, how it feels so right to hold him.

With the heater blasting and Steve's slowly warming body tangled with his, Billy feels sleep pull at him. He dozes off, sleep light but pleasant. When he wakes, Steve is looking at him, eyes clear as they ever were. 

Billy swallows and shifts back but Steve chases the scant distance between them. 'Warm enough, yet?' Billy asks.

Steve nods. 'Yeah, well, except…' He dips his eyes.

Billy frowns. 'Except what?'

'My lips are still cold,' Steve says, voice hoarse and still a little slurred. 

'Your lips—' Billy starts, about to reach up and touch Steve's mouth, when he notes the twinkle in Steve's eyes. He shoves at Steve as best he can in their cocoon of blankets. 'You fucking dork.'

Steve's lips twitch. 'Not gonna warm them up for me?'

Billy rolls his eyes, but his heart is thudding as he moves forward and presses his lips against Steve's. They're warm and soft and he sighs into Steve's mouth, hand curled over Steve's hip. It's a sloppy, lazy kiss, but it might just be the best kiss Billy's ever had. 'Better?' he asks when they part.

'Yeah,' Steve says. 

'How'd you know I wanted…' A flurry of panic stirs in Billy's chest. Has he been so obvious? Does anyone else know?

'I hoped. I mean, you saved my life, after all,' Steve says. He gives a little self-deprecating shrug. 'You got _naked_ to save my life.' A wash of pink tints his cheeks. 'And, uh, this helped,' he adds, slotting his thigh between Billy's, pushing against Billy's erection, hand sliding to the small of Billy's back.

'Shit.' Billy's fingers tighten reflexively on Steve's hip. He forces himself to loosen them and clears his throat. 'S'only a natural response. Nothing personal.'

'Nothing personal?' Steve shifts and his erection presses against Billy's, hot and hard through the layers of their briefs.

Billy swallows a moan. 'Well, maybe a little personal,' he says and kisses Steve again. Deep and slow. He's about to suggest they get even more personal, when the door opens. The blast of cold air is sobering.

'Um…' Wheeler says, from somewhere behind Billy. 'I got the doctor?'

Billy jerks back. He'd forgotten that Wheeler was coming back, that he and Steve were never really alone. He isn't sure how much Wheeler saw but the way he's entangled with Steve is suggestive enough. It doesn't look like a guy saving his buddy's life, not anymore. Billy turns and fixes Wheeler with what he hopes is a look that says, 'I dare you to tell anyone,' but he's not sure how intimidating he looks in only his briefs, tangled in a mess of blankets and another boy.

Wheeler blinks back at him. There are spots of colour on her cheeks and her brow is furrowed but she doesn't say anything.

Billy swallows thickly and sits. 'Just a sec,' he says and then looks at Steve. 'To be continued,' he says, _sotto voce_ , but it comes out less like a promise and more like a question.

Steve nods, smiling, his finger touching Billy's beneath the shelter of the blankets. 'Yeah,' he says and winks, 'to be continued.'

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this will probably not be continued! Haha. Sorry XD
> 
> Thank you for reading! :) This is probably going to be my last fic for 2018 so I just wanna say thanks to everyone who's read my work this year! It means a lot :) 
> 
> You can still find me on tumblr @gothyringwald and pillowfort [under the same name](https://www.pillowfort.io/gothyringwald)
> 
> Title from the Connie Francis song I'm Gonna Be Warm This Winter :)


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